"The portals are still open... still, I need to check New York," Terry thought.

Exhausted beyond measure, Terry resorted to his earth manipulation abilities to create a makeshift platform to carry him forward. It might have seemed lazy, but in his condition, it was a necessary compromise.

As he finally made his way through the portal back to Earth, he was greeted by an impenetrable shroud of thick smoke that enveloped everything. Terry couldn’t see or sense anything in his immediate surroundings.

Terry, frustrated by the thick smoke obscuring his vision, clicked his tongue in annoyance. He couldn’t help but think that learning wind manipulation would have been incredibly useful at this moment. Nonetheless, he quickly employed his earth magic, causing several earth blocks to spin around him and create a wind-like effect that pushed away the enveloping smoke. With this makeshift solution, he hoped to clear the air and gain better visibility in this unfamiliar and perilous territory.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Terry strained his ears and picked up the distant sounds of explosions. Oddly, there was nothing happening in his immediate vicinity. It was clear to him that the enemies had failed to utilize the portal to reach Earth, but that didn’t seem to have altered the dangerous situation he now found himself in.

As Terry ventured further into the smoky domain, he stumbled upon a gruesome scene. The ground was littered with the mutilated remains of unknown beings, their bodies torn apart and covered in blood. Frantically, he scanned the area, but there were no signs of a redhead among the carnage. It appeared that Vanessa had managed to escape, which brought Terry a sense of relief amidst the chaos

Terry soared upward on his earth platform, and as he gained altitude, he could see New York City shrouded in a thick veil of smoke. The cityscape below was barely recognizable, and the chaos was evident even from a distance. His initial intention had been to use his crossbow to assist in the battle, but now, it appeared that his ranged weapon might not be as effective as he had hoped in this dire situation.

Terry quickly realized that using his crossbow in the thick of such a chaotic battle would be too risky. He couldn’t afford to accidentally hit any of the defenders or civilians. So, he made a swift decision and transformed his weapon into a spear. With his new weapon in hand, he propelled himself forward, flying toward the base of the guild. It was time to join the battle on the ground and make a direct impact.

As Terry flew towards the guild’s base, he couldn’t help but notice the signs of intense battles that had unfolded in his absence. The once-familiar streets of New York were now marred with craters and debris from knocked-down buildings. It struck him just how much had transpired in the few hours he had spent in the other world. The situation in the city had escalated significantly during his absence, and he knew he needed to do everything in his power to help turn the tide.

Terry arrived at the building housing the guild and immediately noticed that the place was surrounded by hardened earth walls. It was a defensive measure that could only be the work of either Vanessa or Rebecca. Their efforts to fortify the guild’s base demonstrated their determination to protect it, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Terry felt a surge of pride in his comrades’ resilience as he prepared to join them in the fight to defend New York.

As Terry approached the fortified guild building, he suddenly came under attack from a barrage of lightning bolts. Reacting swiftly, he raised his spear to intercept the bolts, using it as a makeshift lightning rod. The impact of the electrical discharge jolted him for a brief moment, but he managed to absorb and deflect the attack, preventing it from harming him. It seemed that his comrades were taking no chances with their defenses.

Descending as fast as he could, Terry landed in front of the fortified guild entrance. His eyes quickly scanned the area, and to his surprise, he spotted Vanessa. She was wounded and alone, standing guard at the entrance, after she had lost one arm. The Terry rushed over to her side, a mixture of relief and worry washing over him as he approached his friend.

Some other guild members approached since they were hidden inside the building and they sighed in relief when they found Terry, although he looked as battered as Vanessa.

"Sorry that I am late... didn’t you have a restoration wand with you?" Terry asked.

"They targeted it while I was busy... shadows... apparently monsters made of shadows," Vanessa replied and she sighed in relief. "They came out of nowhere, from portals that were spawning other monsters."

Terry’s mind raced as he surveyed the area for any sign of Rebecca, but she was nowhere to be found. The worry that gnawed at him grew more intense, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible might have happened to her. The appearance of those shadow-like monsters had taken them all by surprise, and now Rebecca was missing in the chaos. Terry knew he needed to find her and ensure her safety.

"Where is Rebecca?" Terry asked.

"... They took her siblings and then she lost it and chased them to a portal on the bridge," Vanessa said while looking away. "She used the skeletons to help us after she left, but it hadn’t been enough."

Terry couldn’t shake off the guilt that weighed on his heart. The enemies had taken advantage of their emotions and used Rebecca’s siblings to destabilize the guild. It was a simple but effective tactic, and he knew that such a thing could happen, which was why they had so many power suits in the guild to protect the city. Seeing the damaged and split power suits scattered at the entrance of the building only served as a painful reminder of how vulnerable they were when their loved ones were in danger.

"... I am going to look for her, hide underground until then, I won’t take long this time," Terry said and then got up.

Terry’s body had almost fully healed, but he still felt aches and pains all over from the damage he had taken during his battle in the other world. He couldn’t help but think that things might have been different if he had been wearing some kind of armor, but dwelling on it now served no purpose. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Terry handed his weapon to Vanessa, allowing her to hold it for a while. As she grasped it, a powerful healing energy flowed through her. It was so potent that even her lost arm began to regenerate. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Terry speculated that the enhanced magic power within the weapon was responsible for this miraculous healing effect. However, it wasn’t enough to fully restore her arm. Vanessa utilized the mana stored within the weapon to complete the healing process, eventually making her arm whole again.

"... The enemies began to retreat ten minutes ago, so they must have felt that you were returning, even though the skeletons held them back, they kept coming until then," Vanessa said. "Be careful, the enemies are watching you."

Terry nodded in agreement. At this point, he was growing impatient waiting for the enemies to make a move. He would rather confront them head-on than continue this waiting game. However, it seemed that the enemy was too cowardly to face him directly. With determination in his eyes, Terry dashed toward the portal that the enemies had used to escape, ready to pursue them and bring the fight to their doorstep.

Terry dashed toward the portal that Rebecca had used, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and anger. Along the way, he found only destruction. The enemy had left a trail of devastation in their wake.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of the guild’s members and their power suits, many lives had been spared. However, the relentless assault had taken its toll, with numerous buildings reduced to rubble. It was clear that the enemy had shown no restraint, even targeting places where survivors had sought refuge.

Terry’s blood began to boil with rage. He had faced the enemy head-on many times, never resorting to cheap tricks or fleeing when the going got tough. The wanton destruction and disregard for innocent lives by these shadowy adversaries only fueled his determination to track them down and make them pay for their actions.

Terry quickly located the portal and confirmed that its size had indeed grown, now stretching well beyond fifty meters in height. Without hesitation, he leaped into it, disappearing from the city and reemerging in another world.

Here, he found himself in the heart of a city cloaked in darkness. It was a city in ruins, but not the result of a recent battle or destruction. These were ruins left by the inexorable passage of time, as though this place had been abandoned and forgotten for centuries.